Foundation garment



M. NATHANSON Jan. 4, 1949.

FOUNDAT ION GARMENT Filed Sept. 10, 1946 ing stay i8.

Patented Jan. 4, l 9 49 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOUNDATION GARMENTMatthew A. Nathanson, Brookline, Mass.

Application September 10, 1946, Serial No. 695,961

3 Claims.

This invention relates to foundation garments and particularly, thoughnot exclusively, to corsets, girdles and the like which are used chieflyto shape or support the body of the wearer. The main object of theinvention is to produce an article of wearing apparel of this generaltype, and particularly one composed entirely of elastic fabric or, atleast, including an insert of this nature with an auxiliary supportwhich will be maintained in its desired or relative position regardlessof distortion of the garment body caused by different postures assumedby the wearer.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention together with meanswhereby the latter may be carried into effect will best be understoodfrom the following description of a preferred embodiment illustrated inthe accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front View of a girdle embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is another girdle having applied thereto a construction similarto that shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a modified arrangement of the construction shown in Fig. 1;and

Fig. 4 is another modified arrangement of the construction shown in Fig.1.

The invention, for the purpose of illustration, is herein embodied in agirdle which may be of the step-in type or of a type provided withdetachable fasteners along either side. Referring to Fig. l. the bodyportion B of the girdle therein shown comprises a portion l2 ofsubstantially non-stretchable material such, for example, as wovenfabric and a panel E of expansible and contractible material such, forexample, as elastic fabric, said panel being located in the front wallof the garment centrally thereof. An auxiliary support carried by thepanel E is indicated at S. The support S includes a main or centralmember I3 extending lengthwise of said panel and secured thereto byrivets M which pass through a central reinforcing stay l5 carried bysaid panel. The member I3 is provided, closely adjacent its ends, withslots l6 which are axially alined with said member. A stud I1 isslidably mounted in each of the slots it. Along each of the side edgesof the panel E and carried thereby is a reinforc- Secured to each of thestays I8 is a pivot IS. The pivots l9 may be located at any levelbetween the upper and lower edges of the panel E. Links 29 of stiff orsubstantially inflexible material connect each of the studs ll with bothof the pivots 19, said links forming part of the support S.

A girdle constructed in accordance with the present invention as abovedescribed provides abdominal support in addition to that provided by theordinary garment of this or other types now in general use. Furthermorewith such a construction the main or central member l3 of the auxiliarysupport S is braced by the linkage 20 and maintained thereby between andrelative to the side edges of the panel E as said panel is expanded orcontracted when the garment adjusts itself or is adjusted to fit thewearer and thereafter when the wearer assumes different postures.

It will be obvious that the panel E may be inserted in other parts ofthe garment to lend additional support where necessary and desirable.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention it isobvious that the main or central member 13 may be carried by the studsll and the links 20 instead of being attached to the panel E as is shownin Fig. 1. An alternative construction might even dispense with thecentral member l3 and depend solely, for the auxiliary support, on thetwo pairs of links 20 of which the links of each pair are pivotallyconnected with each other at I! and with the pivots 19.

In Fig. 2 is shown a step-in girdle having a body-encircling member Bwhich is composed entirely of elastic fabric with the auxiliary supportS carried directly thereby.

It will be obvious that the above described construction and arrangementof the parts is capable of wide variation without departing from thespirit or scope of the invention. Two such alternative arrangements areshown in Figs. 3 and 4 in which two pairs of pivots H! are provided. InFig. 3 the links 2!! connect each of the studs H with adjacent pairs ofpivots I9 while in Fig. 4 the links 20'' connect each of said studs withnon-adjacent pairs of pivots HI.

I claim:

1. A girdle including a body-encircling member composed, at least inpart, of elastic fabric; two laterally spaced pivots having between themat least a portion of the elastic fabric; and an auxiliary supportincluding a central element which is secured to the elastic fabricbetween said pivots and links which are connected with said pivots andpivotally and slidably connected with said central element at eitherside of the level of said pivots.

2. A girdle including a body-encircling member composed, at least inpart, of elastic fabric; two laterally spaced pivots having between themat least a portion of the elastic fabric; one element of an auxiliarysupport arranged lengthwise of the garment and secured to the elasticfabric 3 between said pivots; devices carried by said element andslidable lengthwise thereof above and below the level of said pivots;and links connected with said devices and with said pivots.

3. A girdle including a body-encircling member composed, at least inpart, of elastic fabric; two laterally spaced pivots having between themat least a portion of the elastic fabric; one element of an auxiliarysupport arranged lengthwise of the garment and secured to the elasticfabric between said pivots, said element being provided withlongitudinal slots located above and below the level of said pivots;studs slidably mounted in said slots; and links connectedWith-.saidstuds and with said pivots.

MATTHEW A. NAlIZI-IANSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 730,147 Nottelle June 2, 1936858,319 Adams June 25, 1907 929,179 Wood July 27, 1909 2,062,131 IHirsch Nov. 24, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date :3;456 GreatBritain Aug. 2'7, 1879

